CVE-2026-53230

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/mlx5: Fix slab-out-of-bounds in mlx5_query_nic_vport_mac_list

mlx5_query_nic_vport_mac_list() sizes its firmware command buffer using the PFs log_max_current_uc/mc_list capabilities. When querying a VF vport with a larger configured max (via devlink), the firmware response can overflow this buffer:

BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in mlx5_query_nic_vport_mac_list+0x453/0x4c0 [mlx5_core] Read of size 4 at addr ff1100013ffc8a12 by task kworker/u96:2/385

CPU: 12 UID: 0 PID: 385 Comm: kworker/u96:2 Not tainted 7.0.0-rc6+ #1 PREEMPT Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009) Workqueue: mlx5_esw_wq esw_vport_change_handler [mlx5_core] Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x69/0xa0 print_report+0x176/0x4e4 kasan_report+0xc8/0x100 mlx5_query_nic_vport_mac_list+0x453/0x4c0 [mlx5_core] esw_update_vport_addr_list+0x2e3/0xda0 [mlx5_core] esw_vport_change_handle_locked+0xa1f/0x1060 [mlx5_core] esw_vport_change_handler+0x6a/0x90 [mlx5_core] process_one_work+0x87f/0x15e0 worker_thread+0x62b/0x1020 kthread+0x375/0x490 ret_from_fork+0x4dc/0x810 ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20

Fix by querying the vports own HCA caps to size the buffer correctly. Refactor the function to allocate and return the MAC list internally, removing the callers dependency on knowing the correct max.

Weakness

The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Assume all input is malicious. Use an “accept known good” input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
• When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, “boat” may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as “red” or “blue.”
• Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code’s environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright.
• To reduce the likelihood of introducing an out-of-bounds read, ensure that you validate and ensure correct calculations for any length argument, buffer size calculation, or offset. Be especially careful of relying on a sentinel (i.e. special character such as NUL) in untrusted inputs.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/540.html

References

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0f807764bb122fd63aa45f4229cb1ef2679fbd40
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2398e497389ed4be43f7cfbab499b49cec7dae1a
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41781f2789309462520a93822e946521ed78f97f
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/537d87784e81c3d7037525b99416455cee088cdc
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/894e036a24a26a6dd7b17d8d3fb5c53ab48a6074